Automatic baster for braziers



Dec. 21, 1965 t J. J. KOZAR 3,224,362

AUTOMATIC EASTER FOR BRAZIERS Filed Sept. 11, 1964 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

John J Kozar INVENTOR.

Dec. 21, 1965 J. KOZAR 3,224,362

AUTOMATIC BASTER FOR BRAZIERS Filed Sept. 11, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

John J Kozar INVENTOR.

Mad-5%. BY wm zsm United States Patent 3,224,362 AUTQMATIC BASTER FOR BRAZIERS John .I. Kozar, 800 Carl Ave., New Kensington, Pa. Filed Sept. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 395,779 Claims. (Cl. 99-346) This invention generally relates to new and useful improvements in braziers of the hooded, rotary spit type and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, unique power actuated basting means for such braziers.

Another highly important object of the present invention is to provide an improved powered baster of the character described which may be readily mounted for operation on a conventional brazier without the necessity of making material structural alterations therein.

Still another important object of this invention is to provide a powered baster of the aforementioned character which permits a choice of basting fluids.

Still another object ofthe present invention is to provide a brazier baster of the character set forth wherein the fluid is continuously circulated.

Another object is to provide an improved brazier baster which is portable and which, further, may be conveniently transferred from one brazier to another.

Other objects are to provide a portable, powered brazier ibaster which is comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, compact, of light weight and which may be manufactured at low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the detail of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, showing a brazier equipped with a baster embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in vertical section, taken substantially on the line 22 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section through one end portion of the device.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it wiil be seen that reference numeral 4 designates generally a brazier comprising a bowl 6 mounted on supporting legs 8 and having mounted therein a grill 10. The brazier 4 further includes a hood 12 having mounted therein a motorized spit 14- of the type including a basket 16.

Removably mounted on the sides of the bowl 6 is a pair of elongated basting fluid pans 18 and 20. In the embodiment shown, the pans 18 and 20 are provided with slots 22 (see FIGURE 3) which receive hooks or the like 24 for removably mounting said pans on the bowl 6.

Shown mounted for operation in the pan 20 is a pump 26. The pump 26 is of the centrifugal type and rests horizontally in a screen or strainer 23 which is removably mounted in the pan 26'. Rising from the pump 26, in the embodiment shown, is a tubular housing or post 30 on which an electric motor 32 is mounted, said motor being operatively connected to said pump by a shaft 34.

A generally upstanding fluid delivery pipe 36 is connected at one end to the discharge side of the pump 26. Mounted on the upper end of the pipe 36 and extending horizontally therefrom adjacent the upper front portion of the hood 12 is a spray or sprinkler pipe 38. Also connected to the upper end portion of the pipe 36 is a depending return pipe 40 to the pan 29 which bypasses the spray pipe 38, said pipe 40 being provided with a control valve 42. It will be noted that the spray pipe 38 extends horizontally above the basket 16 for basting the content of said basket.

3,224,352 Patented Dec. 21, 1965 Removably mounted on the grill 10 beneath the basket 16 is a drip pan 44 including a forwardly and downwardly inclined bottom 46. Suitable supporting brackets or the like 48 for the pan 44 rest on the grill 10. Fluid lines 50 and 52 are mounted on the ends of the elongated drip pan 44 and communicate therewith in the lowest portion thereof. The pipes 50 and 52 are adapted to selectively duct the basting fluid from the pan 44 to the pans 18 and 20, respectively. Control valves or cocks 54 and 56 are provided, respectively, for the pipes 50 and 52.

Mounted diametrically in the brazier bowl 6 is a transverse partition 58. As shown to advantage in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the partition 58 is adapted to retain the burning coals 60 in the back portion of the bowl 6, substantially rearwardly of the drip pan 44.

It is thought that the operation of the invention will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, a supply of basting oil is placed in the pan 2t) and the electric motor 32 is energized from any suitable source of current. In this manner, the pump 26 is actuated for elevating the oil in the pipe 36, said oil, with the valve 42 closed, entering the spray pipe 38 and dropping by gravity on the content 62 of the basket 16. When the pan 20 is in use the valve 54 is closed and the valve 56 is open. Thus, the basting oil which drops into the pan 44 from the foraminous basket 16 is returned to the pan 20 to be recirculated. If it is desired to baste with juices, the unit 64 is reversed and mounted in the pan 18, the valve 56 is closed and the valve 54 is opened. Through the medium of the valve 42 the volume of basting fluid entering the spray pipe 38 may be regulated. The pan 20 is provided with a suitable drain valve 66. A similar valve 67 is provided on the pan 18.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a brazier including a fire bowl, a pair of basting fluid supply pans mounted on opposite side portions of said fire bowl and solely therefrom, a spit supported from said bowl and for rotation about an axis spaced vertically above said bowl and extending between said opposite side portions thereof, a grill supported from said bowl and overlying the bottom thereof in vertically spaced relation thereto, a drip pan supported from said grill, extending beneath said spit, and including low opposite end bottom portions thereof adjacent said opposite side portions, a pair of valved drain conduits each having one end connected to, supported from, and communicating with a corresponding low opposite end portion of said drip pan, the other ends of said drain conduits being disposed over said basting fluid pans for selective discharge of fluids caught in said drip pan into said supply pans, and a spraying unit including a submersible fluid pump including a fluid delivery pipe supported solely from said pump and projecting upwardly therefrom and terminating at its upper end in a laterally directed generally horizontally disposed spray pipe adapted to discharge basting fluid downwardly therefrom at points spaced longitudially therealong, the fluid pump of said spraying unit being selectively removably positionable in said supply pans for sole support of said spraying unit from the corresponding supply pan and with said spray pipe generally paralleling the axis of rotation of said spit, spaced above the latter and extending toward the remote side portion of said fire bowl.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said basting fluid pans are removably supported from said fire bowl.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said spraying unit includes a valved bypass pipe supported from and communicated with said fluid delivery pipe at one end and opening downwardly adjacent said pump at the other end for discharge into the corresponding supply pan and operable to bypass a portion of the basting fluid pumped by said pump back into the basting fluid pan in and from which said pump is supported.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said fire bowl includes an upstanding partition extending thereacross and disposed in a generally vertical plane generally paralleling and disposed to one side of a vertical plane containing the axis of rotation of said spit, said low portions of said drip pan being disposed on the side of the last-mentioned plane remote from said partition.

5. The combiantion of claim 4 wherein said spraying unit includes a valved bypass pipe supported from and communicated with said fluid delivery pipe at one end and opening downwardly adjacent said pump at the other end for discharge into the corresponding supply pan and operable to bypass a portion of the basting fluid pumped by said pump back into the basting fluid pan in and from which said pump is supported.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,652,422 12/1927 Ascherl 239305 1,732,010 10/1929 Goodell 99-346 X 2,001,116 5/1935 Smith 99346 2,109,796 3/1938 Hirschenfeld 99-345 X 2,533,080 12/1950 Alexander 99--346 X 2,797,633 7/1957 Goodwin 99-241 2,813,478 11/1957 Popple 99346 2,966,839 1/1961 Ferrara et a1 99-346 3,025,783 3/1962 Coudek 99-345 3,130,662 4/1964 Robinson 99421 X FOREIGN PATENTS 971,611 8/1950 France.

975,375 10/1950 France.

224,118 11/ 1924 Great Britain.

609,380 11/1960 Italy.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

BILLY J. WILHITE, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A BRAZIER INCLUDING A FIRE BOWL, A PAIR OF BASTING FLUID SUPPLY PANS MOUNTED ON OPPOSITE SIDE PORTIONS OF SAID FIRE BOWL AND SOLELY THEREFROM, A SPIT SUPPORTED FROM SAID BOWL AND FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS SPACED VERTICALLY ABOVE SAID BOWL AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID OPPOSITE SIDE PORTIONS THEREOF, A GRILL SUPPORTED FROM SAID BOWL AND OVERLYING THE BOTTOM THEREOF IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATION THERETO, A DRIP PAN SUPPORTED FROM SAID GRILL, EXTENDING BENEATH SAID SPIT, AND INCLUDING LOW OPPOSITE END BOTTOM PORTIONS THEREOF ADJACENT SAID OPPOSITE SIDE PORTIONS, A PAIR OF VALVED DRAIN CONDUITS EACH HAVING ONE END CONNECTED TO, SUPPORTED FROM, AND COMMUNICATING WITH A CORRESPONDING LOW OPPOSITE END PORTION OF SAID DRIP PAN, THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID DRAIN CONDUITS BEING DISPOSED OVER SAID BASTING FLUID PANS FOR SELECTIVE DISCHARGE OF FLUIDS 